So it’s my first time trying Macarons.
Yes, believe it or not! I’ve been on this earth for almost 30 years and I only tried a couple last Sunday. Bought around 4 pcs of them from Tous Les Jours near the grocery section at the Mall of Asia (Philippines).
I’m not really sure how it should taste like since its my first time but from what I’ve read, ofcourse it should be sweet and soft with some sort of custard filling in the middle.
I bought the strawberry flavored, vanilla, green tea, vanilla and chocolate ‘Macaron de Paris’ and indeed it was just as everything as described. Was not too sweet though and very light on the tongue. It was soft and chewy in the middle and when I held it, it was crushed underneath my fingers – I was probably just too excited to eat them.

Well, I didn’t really eat all of them. I gave the chocolate to my husband. But as for the vanilla, strawberry and greentea, I think I liked the greentea flavor best. The strawberry and vanilla flavor were sweet and had a faint taste of (ofcourse) strawberry and vanilla. But if it wasn’t colored pink or white, then I would have thought that it was something else. As for the greentea flavor, I would have never guessed otherwise. It’s greentea alright! Greentea to every bite. But if you’re not a fan of greentea, I suggest you try something else because it has a strong flavor.

Will I be back to try more from Tous Les Jours? Yes, definitely! They have a long line of pastries and very yummy looking cakes. I’ll try the Premium Macarons next time since I only tried the regular ones for my first time. 🙂

*Sorry, was not able to take enough pictures since we really needed to grab some dinner (at Sizzling Pepper Steak ♥) but will take more the next time.

If you want to check out their other great tasting pastries and cakes, go to:http://www.tlj.ph/

About a couple of days ago everything was nauseating for me even the food I use to love. So, the first time in several weeks I wanted to really eat, I wanted something savory to refresh my palate. That’s why I thought that eating Korean food was a sure way of getting my love for food back again.

I scoured for Korean food blogs that was nearby my workplace in QC so my husband can pick me up and we can have an early dinner.

After my day and a half search, it seemed that Woori Gohyang (formerly WooriJib) in Matalino Street Kalayaan Quezon City was the perfect choice. It was like 7 minutes away from my work!

Before I got there I was warned not to expect too much of the place. It isn’t as extravagant as what I’m used to see in “Koreanovelas”. So I didn’t expect much…

When we got there I wasn’t really disappointed. I knew what to expect and as it turned out, it was better then I thought. The place was big and there was only one group dining aside from me and my husband.

At the center of the room, food was laid out buffet style. You can either eat buffet style or per order if you want to eat Samgyupsal (google it! Picture as seen above). It’s Php250/order, minimum of 2 orders and 299 per person buffet style. Believe me, it’s a lot of serving and if you don’t want to get an upset stomach after, choose wisely.
I have dined in Korean restaurants before and I definitely had better.

Now, that’s not the disappointing part. At the buffet table, several flies dined happily as well. Yes, I risked eating there and prayed hard (my husband didn’t know that I was praying and feeling guilty all the while-bad mommy!)
Eventhought flies roamed the buffet table, they served the meat separately. I think it was pork belly strips, the fatty part. But I already knew Samgyupsal would be fatty before we got there. I googled it! At the very least it looked fresh and clean. We cooked it on a griddle. I could tell though that my husband wasn’t happy about it. Infact he was disappointed. Believe me, my husband’s a big guy who loves to eat all the time an he doesn’t get disappointed with food often so this is a record holder for him. It was his first time eating authentic Korean food. As we were both hungry, we continuously cooked the meat on the griddle. I told my husband, “Now I know why Koreans are so slim. They work hard for their food. Cooking on the griddle requires skill!” I said that because it seemed that we were burning the meat but we got a hang of it after some time. And so we ate.

I thought that we were the only ones at the table. Then it was husband who first saw our tiny friend crawling behind us. Our tiny cockroach friend, who’s picture is seen below. Later on he killed it with his water bottle and I sprayed it with alcohol. We both lost our appetite. Very bad for you Woori Gohyang. We’ll never eat there ever again! – and to think, the Korean owner even dropped by while we were there!

I still love Korean food though and don’t get me wrong the serving there is quite a lot I’ll just never ever eat at Woori Gohyang ever. I promised my husband that I’ll take him to Yedang at Meralco, Ortigas in Pasig next time. It’s much cleaner there, and the food there is way better! Trust me, Yedang cost a lot more but is worth it. And the food, is way tastier!

Good food, bad service.
It was Leo’s first time eating Korean food. Even it was still fast food, he loved it – well from what I saw.

If you can remember my previous Korean resto review, then you can guess that it’s a bit hard to beat.

Mr. Kimbob’s was a palatable experience and I was impressed that I really did taste it’s authenticity of being from Korea. The serving was good enough to keep me full and it was savory. However, my first Korean food experience at “Ye-Dang” is still hard to beat. Aside from the taste, it was the prescence of mind the servers were lacking.

Leo ordered “Bibimbob” while I, the “Bulgogi”. As a noodle lover, Leo originally wanted Ramen but since the dumplings that was suppose to go with the meal was not available, he changed his mind. Aside from that, we also ordered the Korean rice cakes – sorry forgot what it was called. But guess what, they still included the Ramen even when we cancelled and they did not even provided us with a receipt – we unknowingly paid for the Ramen that we cancelled earlier but since we were about to faint with hunger, we didn’t notice. Even so, they still should have given us a receipt. Too bad, Leo loved the food but we both hated the experience. Such a disappointment…

It started 7th of August and the rain decided to stay since then. PAGASA didn’t declare it as a storm. It was just the result of a monsoon rain passing north of the Philippines on its way to China. Imagine what would have happened if it was indeed a storm. I’ll give you an idea– well it mostly affected Metro Manila. So that’s chest deep water in some parts. That’s subtle. There are certain locations wherein the flood reached the second floor of their houses. Most underpasses are non-passable (talk about ironic) which caused terrible traffic as well – as if the everyday traffic wasn’t bad enough. And a lot of people lost homes. Through it all, Filipinos still find a reason to smile, yes, even when swimming through the flood.

Thankfully, my family and most of the people I care about are safe.

In times like this, true heroes are discovered. A huge THANK YOU for the people who litterally risked their lives in saving others, those who donated, and volunteered to pack the donations, to those who offered shelter and to those who truly prayed for everyone’s safety. You are all heroes and may you receive ten folds the blessing you provided others. May you multiply.

I seldom write blogs about myself or anything personal. I am not claiming that this blog is about my personal life but it’s definitely different from my usual “menu” of movies and books (mostly YA). This is something different – how a company effectively works.

I cannot claim myself as an expert about businesses. I have never been an “actual” manager in a company but I think I’ve been with different companies with different fields and I feel that I’ve had my fair share of knowledge how a company would work effectively.

Just to give you a background, I’ve been in marketing, advertising, BPO’s (call centers) and I’ve even had my own small business – the latter did not turn out so well. I don’t regret it though. Everything is a learning experience.

I’ve come to realize that a company will work effectively not just because of its upper management but mostly because of the people who are in the entry level positions. Have you noticed that most companies have more people that are in entry level positions? That’s because ultimately, without them, a company will not work or gain revenue. The bosses are just called “bosses” because they have the power to “implement” but they do not necessarily have the ability that people in the entry level positions have. They might have honed it for some time but being at the “top” for a long time has its tendencies to make one forget. Not just the ability how it was to work from a lower position but how an entry level feels.

With my previous jobs I was somewhat given a preview of how upper management works. I felt that somehow, without me a company will not work and I felt that I was appreciated. How? Not by the rewards but I felt that I was needed. When a client needed to consult something and would call my manager, my manager would tell the client that I was managing the account and everything should pass by me before I call a meeting or give the information to the other employees within the company.

From experience I can say that clear processes make a company work as well as fair judgment and “less” politics. I said less politics because that can never be avoided and I am quite aware of it whether or not the bosses admit it.

A clear company process because you cannot give the work of another person to another. That would be enough to explain itself. A process also pertains to how things can be implemented without any errors. You cannot count from one to ten and skip numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9. I hope you get my drift. Some companies definitely do not get that. On the top of my head, I can name one of the companies or “accounts” that certainly does not understand how that works. Of course, I wouldn’t. That wouldn’t be right and I’d rather not stoop to their level. Just a note though, their client does not even know what kind of process they implement. Okay, enough said – I’m getting personal.

I mentioned fair judgment because someone from a higher position needs to think not only for the people in the managerial positions but also for the benefit of those who are below him. If he only thinks for the benefit of himself or those he often “mingle” with, then wouldn’t you label that as corrupt? A company needs to have someone who has the ability to decide for the benefit of all and not just for revenue alone. A company may drive revenue but it does not necessarily mean that it’s the best one.

“Less” politics. I know that this kind of thing can never be taken off consideration. Someone who does less but nevertheless has the ability to be “seen more” will definitely be chosen over those who diligently works their ass*s off. In “tagalog”, nasa diskarte din yan. Kaso ang diskarte minsan, hindi gumagana sa kompanyang bulok!

I guess that’s all for now. I just needed to say what’s in my mind.

As for me, the reason why I keep changing jobs and constantly wants change in a company is not because I want to stop what I’m doing and because it’s getting boring (well, partly) but because I want to learn. However, I don’t think that I can stay very long with a company who cannot allow me to grow nor has all three above mentioned of how to make a company a good one. In my list at the very least.